Chapter 138
Hello, I'm Akagi Hideo.
After dancing wildly with a mysterious girl, I told her that I'm Finger Man.
Just reading that makes sound like a total weirdo, huh?
I don't want to give a good kid the wrong idea.
"You're Finger Man...? What do you an by that..."
"Just what it sounds like."
I snapped my fingers.
A dry click echoed.
It was like a sound that soaked into your soul, or the shimr of a perfect brass instrunt.
If you focused on it, it was a mystical and beautiful sound.
Not that I should be the one saying that.
"So that's how it is... I see, you really are... this pervert..."
"Hey now."
"The man from the urban legend, Fingerman... Finger Man, I've been looking for you."
"So what kind of business do you have with ?"
"I want you to protect . From the people trying to kill ."
"Huh, that's quite the dramatic setup."
"Hey! Are you making fun of ?"
Aren't you?
I'd rather ask you that.
"Fine. Maybe this will make it a little more convincing."
The girl pouted and started to take off her clothes, but paused for a mont.
Blushing, she awkwardly pulled open her top and showed her shoulder and the base of her right arm.
Whoa, that's bad.
Her arm looked like it was fused on with so gross, gray, cell-like stuff.
What the heck is this?
"I got shot while I was running away from them."
"U-Uh-huh..."
"So I reattached it myself."
"Whaaaaat..."
Honestly, it's the second part that horrifies more.
Hmm, it really doesn't look fake.
Maybe this girl's in a seriously ssed up situation.
I should at least hear her out.
"This isn't really the place to talk. Let's go to a café."
She's way too mature.
"I think there was a Starbucks in front of the station."
Way, way too mature.
An elentary schooler going to Starbucks?
Get outta here—try that again in a million years. I've been loyal to McDonald's all my life.
And so, I got led to a Starbucks by a little kid.
We stepped into the stylish interior.
I lined up with the fashionable girls, wondering if a barbarian who was dancing with clovers on his head just monts ago even belonged here.
Our turn ca.
"Caral Frappuccino with an espresso shot, add almond toffee syrup and vanilla syrup. And chocolate sauce too. Venti size."
"That's a Caral Frappuccino with an espresso shot, almond toffee syrup, vanilla syrup, and chocolate sauce! Venti size!"
A mysterious exchange between the barista and the little one.
So this is the rumored spell battle. I bet even Barry Botter has sothing like this. Abracadabra! XL Hols!
"What about you?"
The little one asked, so I looked at the nu.
Gah, where am I even supposed to look? It's all tiny letters and packed with text.
"Umm, then... Napolitan Carbonara at Doria Pepperoncino."
"I'm sorry, sir, we don't have such an item..."
"...Coffee. Lots of sugar, lots of milk."
"What size would you like?"
"Uhh, dium."
"Umm... We have four sizes available..."
"The biggest one."
"That's a Venti!"
What a crushing defeat.
I'll never forget this humiliation, Starbucks.
We got our drinks and headed to a seat in the back.
"My na is Li Na. I'm a researcher from the CHN Dungeon Foundation."
"China? And wait, you're a researcher at your age? That's amazing. You must be super smart (basic reaction)."
"Objectively speaking, I'd say I'm a super-genius beautiful girl."
And now she's instantly annoying.
Well, her features are sharp and dignified.
She'll definitely grow up to be a real beauty.
"So what does a super-genius beautiful girl like you want with ?"
"I want you to protect , Finger Man, with your power."
"You say 'protect'... but from what?"
"From Gregorious Shita Chichigasky, one of the Four Emperors of Dungeon Academia."
Underboob?
Isn't he that huge villain Gii-san let loose by planting a parasite in?
"Gii (Translation: Yes. He is still within our grasp, my lord.)"
Thought so.
"I heard rumors that you shot down that giant star. I don't have much hope, but I have to ask—was it true?"
"If you an that arrogant drunken jerk who was like so wannabe Marx, yeah, I took him down."
"S-So the rumors were true...! You're incredible..."
"Lately I've beco pretty aware of how strong I am. So why are they after you, Li Na?"
"It's a long story... but I'll start with . Because of my age, I wasn't a full-fledged researcher, so I was allowed to pursue interest-based studies. My field was dungeon biology. More specifically, applied biology—I loved researching monster weapons."
"Are you maybe a dangerous kid?"
"No! I was aiming at dungeon conquest using monster weapons."
According to Li Na, monster weapons provide stable combat power and can be used strategically, and they can help avoid loss of life. Basically, she wanted to make the world better with them. (summary)
She's a really good kid. I like that. Using tech to help people and all.
"But then, one of the monster weapons brought back from a conflict zone turned out—based on the analysis—to be made by the company run by Dr. Shita Chichigasky..."
According to Li Na, these monster weapons, grown from artificially cultivated monsters, have been used repeatedly in conflict zones lately. Apparently, it's an outrageous act—releasing monsters that only explorers can defeat into the outside world on purpose.
"When I tried to expose it, it seems they'd already caught on to my movents. That's when they started trying to kill . To silence ."
"I see."
"Gii (Translation: The criminal empire of Dr. Shita Chichigasky is vast. He has syndicates all over the world, and his roots run deep even within the Dungeon Foundation. Especially in Russia and China, his power is near absolute, and Europe is also at risk. Right now, internal purging and punishnt of traitors is underway, but it will take ti to complete.)"
So they figured out she sniffed out an inconvenient truth and decided to eliminate her.
What a disgusting scumbag, as always.
It reminded of the deathmatch I had with Shirokko a week ago.
Even an explorer as strong as him was working under Dr. Shita Chichigasky.
"Gii-san, don't you think we should just kill him? Like, right now—make the parasite go berserk and blow his brains out or sothing."
"Gii (Translation: Even if we eliminate Dr. Shita Chichigasky right now, it won't stop the criminal empire he built. Large organizations can regrow their heads and resu activity even if the Don is taken out. For now, let's limit ourselves to operational containnt in order to protect ourselves.)"
If Gii-san says so...
But that ans the girl's safety still isn't guaranteed.
In a way, it's our fault she's stuck in danger.
"Understood. That's fine. I'll protect you, Li Na. I'm also an enemy of Dr. Shita Chichigasky, so I can't promise absolute safety, though."
"Really? Yay!"
Li Na throws a guts pose to show her excitent.
If Dr. Shita Chichigasky's strongest asset is Shirokko, then I should be able to handle it now. I doubt Shirokko would challenge again anyway.
——So ti later
After a long battle in the Independent Nation of Chiba, I was finally on my way ho to the world-envied tropolis of SAITAMA.
Two hours of train transfers from Chiba Station.
At last, I returned to the city of eternal prosperity, thriving since ancient tis.
"Kyukkyukkyu (Translation: I'm hungry-kyu)"
At little hedgehog's suggestion, we headed to a beef bowl chain restaurant.
No matter how rich you get, tasty food is still tasty.
I piled red pickled ginger onto my extra-large beef bowl to the very edge of legality.
Doing things like this reminds I'm a commoner to the bone. I'm so cheap.
Beef bowl and pickles set.
A simple combo of beef bowl, miso soup, and a small dish of pickles—but it's delicious. It's practically the essence of wabi-sabi. See? Little hedgehog is already hooked.
"Kyukkyukkyu! (Translation: The triple kimchi cheese beef bowl is too damn good-kyu!)"
Turns out they were eating a far more sacrilegious beef bowl than I expected. What is with this hedgehog?
"You know... Finger Man is... more normal than I thought."
"Well, yeah."
What exactly were you expecting?
"Li Na, what kind of person did you think I was?"
"Just call Na. Li Na sounds too formal."
Really? Oh, I see.
"Soone more strict, stoic—like an assassin. Cold and ruthless, feeding on the flesh of other explorers to grow stronger. No one knows his true identity. Raised in brutal deathmatches since childhood, lost all emotion, lost all expression."
"What kind of alternate tiline Finger Man is that?"
Good grief, whoever spread that absurd rumor...
So ti later
We walked past the rural landscape.
"I'm ho!"
When I opened the front door and said that, a lazy-sounding "Welco back" ca from my little sister.
We headed straight to the living room.
"Uh... what's with... that..."
"Oh, this? I brought back lots of souvenirs from the Peanut Country. This is a peanut winter gift set, peanut pickles, and over here is the easy peanut kit."
"No, no, that's not what I ant. I an the girl..."
"I found her. Big brother will be raising her starting today."
My foolish little sister, for whatever reason, gasped, dashed out of the kitchen still wearing her apron, and shouted, "Big brother had a kid!" as she ran toward the stairs.
Hey. Cut it out.
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